I’m positive that if you’ve followed a non-profit, school, fire department, emergency management, law enforcement group, or municipality in Washington County over the past 15 years there is a good chance you’ve seen them hold up an oversized check during a Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) grant presentation held at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort (RCGR)

These WCRF competitive grant funds have been wonderful to not only qualifying entities in Washington County but the surrounding counties who are eligible to apply as they work towards funding good projects for the betterment of southeast Iowa.  Since 2006 the WCRF has awarded just under $40,000,000 in competitive grant funds to qualifying groups to help with funding their worthwhile projects. 

A comprehensive list of grant recipients can be found at washingtoncountyriverboatfoundation.org under “past awards”. I am still truly amazed as I scroll through the full list and see the impact these grant funds have had on our communities and county. I’ve witnessed awards from a few thousand up to 3.5 million and you can feel the gratitude from each group in between as they realize their project just went from idea to reality. 

There is a second component to the WCRF giving and that is the Municipal awards. In 2006 the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort (RCGR) opened its doors for business and the communities in Washington County have seen the direct impact through quarterly municipal payments. To date, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) has allocated 25% of the proceeds they receive from RCGR for municipal allocation.

As we start 2022, the communities of Washington County have received over $11,000,000 in municipal payments to be used for projects that have a positive impact on each of our respective communities.  The communities that receive these funds through a population formula including Ainsworth, Brighton, Crawfordsville, Kalona, Riverside, Washington, Wellman, and West Chester. 

In Kalona, we have received since 2006 municipal payments totaling $2,224,187.  For the calendar year 2021, the City of Kalona received $211,000 through four quarterly payments. 

These funds have gone to support projects such as the downtown streetscape, park, and ballfield improvements, Senior meals program, Pop Up Pantries, Veteran’s memorial, the tomb of the unknown soldier monuments, exercise and weight equipment, library projects, Kalona Historical Society Fall Festival and most recently a yearly allocation to help service the debt on the new community center that opened in August of 2018.

I believe I speak for all the communities in Washington County when I say Thank you to both the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation for entrusting our groups and communities with nearly $50,000,000 in grant and municipal funds.  Your continued success and commitment to Washington County are very much appreciated.